Northwestern vs. Cornell

Should I go to Northwestern University or Cornell University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern or Cornell is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Northwestern University vs. Cornell University comparison
Northwestern University Cornell University College 3 College 4
Northwestern University Cornell University
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Overview

Northwestern Cornell
Location Evanston, IL Ithaca, NY
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 23,161 25,898
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northwestern Cornell
Tuition (In State) $62,391 $62,456
Tuition (Out of State) $62,391 $62,456
Room & Board $19,440 $16,988
Avg Net Price $22,095 $26,060
Avg Grant Aid $61,716 $54,219
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 51%

Admission

Northwestern Cornell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,261 69,195
Admitted 3,695 5,168
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 7.5%
Enrolled % 55.2% 67.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 33/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 1470/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2025 Jan 2, 2025

Academics

Northwestern Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

Northwestern Cornell
Graduation Rate 94% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $200 $124

Diversity

Northwestern Cornell
% Men 46% 47%
% Women 54% 53%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 41%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

Northwestern Cornell
% In-State 22% 33%
% Out-of-State 67% 55%

Campus

Northwestern Cornell
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Northwestern based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 23,161 students)

Northwestern vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 0.1% more expensive to attend than Northwestern for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $62,391.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Cornell than Northwestern University ($62,456.00 vs. $62,391.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than Cornell ($22,095 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 14.4% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($16,988 vs. $19,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than Northwestern University (51% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 13.8% larger than aid received Cornell University ($61,716 vs. $54,219)

Northwestern vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Northwestern or Cornell? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cornell or Northwestern .

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 32 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Cornell (3.9)
  • Cornell has a higher acceptance rate (7.5%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

Northwestern vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern or Cornell? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cornell and Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Cornell University (94% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $8,600 more per year than Northwestern graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $89,800)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $7,378 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern graduates. ($12,000 vs. $19,378)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern graduates. ($124 vs. $200)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/